Valorant Character – Killjoy Overview
Killjoy is the latest Valorant agent to be revealed and will be the 12th one added to the roster.
She officially went live at the beginning of Act II which began on August 4th, 2020.
Overall, she’s the third Sentinel agent and her playstyle is somewhat similar to Cypher + Raze.
This is because she has a wide range of gadgets that she can place all over the map to not only gain info, but also set up or get kills.
This guide will cover how Killjoy works as well as her overall strengths and weaknesses.
Our takes are primarily first impressions before her launch but come back later and we’ll have a more fleshed out guide for you.
Killjoy’s Abilities
Nanoswarm (C – 200 credits, up to 2 charges)
A grenade that turns invisible and is remotely detonated like Cypher’s cages.
It deals a high amount of damage and can kill enemies very quickly if they don’t leave its radius quickly.
The damage is inflicted over time like a powerful molly, it doesn’t provide a burst of damage upon exploding.
Similar to Alarmbot, Nanoswarm can be detected when an enemy is close to it and can be destroyed.
Unlike Alarmbot and Turret, it cannot be recalled so be sure to place it wisely.
Nanoswarm will have an indicator of its placement on its map but will not provide an alert if it is destroyed, it simply disappears.
Alarmbot (Q – 200 credits)
Equips and deploys an invisible bot that acts like a proximity mine, jumping to an enemy that comes within its range and explodes.
When the mine is set off or destroyed, you’ll see a red visual alert on the map.
It doesn’t deal damage on its own but will grant a debuff that causes its target to temporarily receive double damage (comparable to Viper’s “Fragile” mechanic).
This debuff lasts about four seconds so you either have to be nearby enough to peek for a kill or you can use Alarmbot to empower your Turret or Nanoswarm to get a kill from across the map.
Killjoy can use this ability similar to how a Cypher uses his Trapwires, acting as a way to gain information in crucial areas like chokepoints and deter enemies from entering.
The Alarmbot can be detected if an enemy gets close enough to it and can be destroyed before it is triggered.
For reference, it takes one Classic shot to kill it while it’s invisible and Classic two shots to kill it when it’s moving.
Similar to Turret, Alarmbot can be recalled back to Killjoy from anywhere on the map to be placed again but it does have a 20-second cooldown before you can place it again.
Turret (E – free, can be placed again 20 seconds after recalling or 45 seconds after being destroyed)
Deploys a turret that fires on enemies within a 180 degree cone.
By default, her Turret will be placed outwardly but you can press E to rotate so it faces you.
You cannot manually spin the Turret around like you can with Sage’s wall.
The Turret has 125 HP and fires after a brief, 0.75 second delay in three-shot bursts. Its damage varies based on distance:
- 0-20m = 8 damage per bullet
- 20-35m = 6 damage per bullet
- 35m+ = 4 damage per bullet
Although her Turret itself doesn’t do a devastating amount of damage, it definitely deals enough to demand respect from enemies and can create chaos if you and your team are also firing at enemies while the Turret is firing.
It will help Killjoy solo hold sites, delay pushes, set up crossfire situations, protect her team from flanks on offense, and just be another great tool for gathering information.
After her Turret is destroyed, it can be placed again after a 45-second cooldown.
Similar to Alarmbot, it can be recalled back to Killjoy from across the map and can be placed again after a 20-second cooldown.
It does have enough penetration to hit enemies that are lined up.
Once the Turret sees an enemy, it will begin a three-burst firing animation – if the enemy hides behind cover, it will continue firing until the burst stops.
While firing, it will also provide a visual alert so use that info to your advantage.
Lockdown (7 orb points)
The source of this agent’s name is most likely inspired by her ultimate, which places a device that emits a bubble dome in a large radius.
After 13 seconds, it will detonate. All enemies who are hit will be severely slowed and unable to use their gun or abilities for 8 seconds.
The device can be destroyed (150HP) but its effect doesn’t require line of sight so Killjoy will be able to hide it, such as under Ascent’s A Site Hell or behind the arches of Ascent’s B Site.
Its range is massive and gives her a ton of map control and zoning potential.
For example, it can cover B site, garage, B-C connector, and A-B connector all at once.
Although it’s amazing on defense, don’t underestimate its value as an initiation tool since it can basically force your enemies to retreat and give up a site.
Killjoy’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Defense
- Info gathering
- Anti-flank
- Post-plant
- Influencing multiple parts of the map
As a Sentinel, Killjoy naturally shines on defense and in post-plant scenarios since she can set up her turret and other gadgets to dominate areas of the map.
On offense, her Turret is incredibly useful for protecting her team from enemy lurkers and rotators.
Similar to Cypher, she spread her presence across the map.
For example, she can leave her turret in one area, place her traps in another, and then watch another angle herself.
Unlike her peers, Sage and Cypher, she provides more kill potential and has a lot of tools to deny defusals.
Weaknesses
- No CC outside of ult detonation and turret slowing like any other bullet
- No entry abilities (maybe she can throw her onto a site before her team enters?)
- No smoke utility
- Gadgets can be destroyed
- Requires set up, probably won’t be able to use her abilities that well in skirmishes/firefights
Since Killjoy’s kit includes damage abilities, she lacks a lot of utility that other agents offer.
For example, she doesn’t have any tools like smokes or flashbangs to control and contest vision.
Her abilities, outside of her ultimate, also aren’t that great for helping her team enter onto a site in the same way a Sage wall or Cypher cages can.
Since her abilities can all be destroyed, she may struggle against certain agents like Raze and Sova who have tools to destroy gadgets from a safe distance.
Lastly, since her abilities all require set up, she will struggle in duels and skirmishes since it’ll be difficult for her to use them in combat.
Probable Team Comp
In the current competitive meta, it’ll likely be very difficult for Killjoy to replace either Cypher or Sage in lineups since they have been so dominant.
However, if we assume that all agents are balanced in power level, an example Killjoy team comp would look something like this:
- Killjoy
- Sentinel
- Smoker
- Entry
- Entry
Between, Sage and Cypher, Killjoy has the most overlap with Cypher so she’d likely to replace him to create a lineup such as:
- Killjoy
- Sage
- Omen
- Raze
- Sova
